Fysiqal

Isolation · Beginner

Standing Hip Abduction

Isolation isolation exercise using cable.
Movement pattern
Isolation
Difficulty
Beginner
Equipment
Cable
Mechanics
Isolation
Sides
Unilateral
Main plane
Frontal

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How to do the Standing Hip Abduction

Cues reviewed by Kwabena Osei on

Setup

Ankle strap attached to a low pulley, standing sideways to the machine, strap on the leg farthest from it, holding the machine for balance.

  1. Keeping your leg straight, lift it out to the side against the cable's resistance -- the straight knee brings the two-joint hip muscles (like the gracilis) into the movement more than a bent-knee seated version does, and lets you reach closer to the hip's real ~45-degree abduction range.

  2. Squeeze at the top, then return under control to the start.

Common mistakes

  • Leaning your torso away from the working leg to fake extra range instead of keeping it upright and isolating the hip.

  • Letting the knee bend during the lift, which shifts the exercise back toward the bent-knee version and reduces the straight-leg benefit.

Muscles worked

Primary

Secondary

How the knowledge graph models this movement

Each joint action, with the role and emphasis the graph assigns each muscle. These are qualitative anatomical labels, not measured muscle activation.

  • Hip abductionprimary action

    Gluteus medius (prime mover, high emphasis); Gluteus minimus (synergist, moderate emphasis)

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Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional for individual guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy or medical conditions.